A volatile week in the cryptocurrency market saw Bitcoin experience a dramatic crash, while international events unfolded with indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran concluding without a resolution and a suicide bombing in Pakistan. Bitcoin plummeted nearly $15,000 in a single day, a downturn reminiscent of the 2022 collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire, according to Fortune. Meanwhile, indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Oman concluded without a definitive outcome, as reported by NPR Politics. In Pakistan, a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad claimed the lives of at least 31 people, according to The Associated Press, also reported by NPR Politics.
The Bitcoin crash, which saw the cryptocurrency trading around $70,000 after recovering some losses, has left many industry insiders puzzled. One theory, put forth by Parker White, former equities trader and current COO at DeFi Development Corporation, suggests the crash was triggered by Hong Kong traders whose high-leverage Bitcoin bets went awry, as detailed by Fortune.
Simultaneously, the U.S. and Iran engaged in high-stakes indirect talks in Oman. While Iran's foreign minister described the discussions as a "good start," no concrete agreements were reached, according to NPR Politics. The talks occurred as the U.S. builds up military forces in the region.
In Pakistan, the suicide bombing at the Shiite mosque during Friday prayers also left at least 169 people wounded. This attack, a rare occurrence in Islamabad, occurred as the government struggles to contain a surge in militant attacks across the country, according to The Associated Press.
In other news, an article in Nature News highlighted that oil- and gas-producing regions in the continental United States are emitting up to five times more methane than companies are reporting to government regulators. Additionally, the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics was described as "painfully long, inevitably uneven, excessively dance-obsessed but also somehow lovable" by Time, with a tribute to Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" as a standout moment.
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